


Here now, today

by blondsak



Series: heart and nerve and sinew [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Drowning, Electrocution, Fluff, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Whump, and he gets one, sometimes it doesn't work very well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-30 16:08:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19406752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blondsak/pseuds/blondsak
Summary: A lab mishap that nearly kills Peter leads Tony to the discovery that the two of them have been saving each other since long before he ever realized.(Set between chapters three and four of “Five Times Peter Parker Pretended to Be Asleep”)





	Here now, today

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is basically my take on the 2010 Expo scene between Peter & Tony, with much inspiration taken from a certain deleted Tony & Harley scene from Iron Man 3. It’s also a total whump & fluff fest for which I am not in the least apologetic. 
> 
> However, I am neither a doctor nor an electrical engineer, so there are almost certainly some medical and scientific inaccuracies. Please be kind in the comments <3

**Now**

It’s a typical Sunday afternoon in the lab. Peter had been at the tower for training since Friday, and this was the first time the two of them had been able to get away to the workshop. Tony had been especially antsy about it because he had a very specific project in mind, one that could use Peter’s help.

Over the last few weeks DUM-E’s battery charger had been malfunctioning. Tony had already examined both the battery and charging port and determined they were not the issue, which meant the wiring was the likely problem. This wasn’t too surprising; Tony hadn’t done a full upgrade of DUM-E’s hardware since he’d recovered the bot from the remains of his Malibu house, only committing to patch jobs when various issues had come up. But DUM-E was almost always at a task, rarely left in sleep mode, and after almost five years of constant use even Tony had to admit patches would no longer do the trick. It was time for full wiring replacement, at least for the battery charger and adjacent cables. 

However, Tony had only been 17 when he’d built DUM-E, and as such a lot of the bot’s components were housed to accommodate smaller hands than Tony’s beaten, calloused digits. Normally he’d fumble through it anyway, but these days he happened to know a certain nimble-fingered spiderling who was only too eager to assist. 

The process had taken over two hours of digging through DUM-E’s electrical guts, but finally Tony leans back from where he’d been crouched down next to Peter and stretches his aching limbs, mindful of the tools and old wires spread out all around them. 

“I think our work here is done, Pete,” Tony says, taking off his safety gloves before getting to his feet. His knees crack loudly, rebelling at the motion - an unwanted reminder of his age. In response Peter tilts back on his shins, mindlessly pulling off his own safety gloves as he continues to peer at the wiring, double-checking that everything is connected correctly.

“Yeah, I think it all looks good, Mr. Stark. Though it’s kinda hard to tell with all the wiring you have in here,” Peter says, glancing up at him before adding with an impish grin, “But I guess DUM-E is almost as ancient as you so…”

“Watch it, squirt,” Tony replies with a huff. “I banned Clint from the vents for a week for a smart-ass comment, don’t think you get any special treatment just because you’re practically still in diapers.”

Peter just laughs in response, his grin growing ever brighter, and Tony can’t help but smirk at the kid’s sheer delight in their banter. Even so, his mind is already thinking of acceptable retaliation options; he can’t let anyone - even Peter - think he’s gone soft or soon enough the whole team will be walking all over him.

“You laugh now,” he says lightly, only to lower his voice and add, “but don’t forget, I’m the master of the long game. Or did you already forget Rhodey hanging up on me?”

 _That_ finally earns him a proper look of trepidation, Peter’s adam’s apple bobbing as he pales slightly. Tony can’t help but add a menacing chuckle as he turns and walks over to the wall where DUM-E’s charging cord is laying near one of the high voltage equipment outlets. “Okay, kid, all clear?”

Peter gives him two thumbs up before turning back to the bot. “All clear, plug him in!”

Tony does, then looks back over to where Pete is still crouched down, looking at the charging scanner they’d hooked up to DUM-E’s battery earlier. “Nothing,” Peter calls out with a sigh after a few moments, before once again peering back at the mess of wires. 

Tony starts to walk back over to take a look at it himself. “Hm, I must have missed a-”

“Oh, I see it! Just a sec,” Peter says, one bare hand fumbling for the metal linesman pliers abandoned on the floor while the other hand - also bare - grabs for an unsheathed hanging wire. 

Tony realizes what’s about to happen a moment too late. “Peter, _stop-_ ”

The kid’s torso suddenly jolts. He makes no sound but Tony doesn’t miss the way his body goes rigid, hair poofing up like someone had rubbed a balloon all over it. For a millisecond Tony considers yanking the kid away from the bot, before shaking his head and dashing the few steps back to the wall. He frantically grabs the charging cord’s plug and yanks it from the outlet, cutting off the power. 

Tony turns just in time to hear the clang of the pliers landing on the lab floor, Peter already starting to slump over on top of them. But Tony is there in record time, not even feeling the ache in his joints anymore as he stumbles to the ground, catching the kid’s shoulders before his head can make contact with the floor tiles.

“Whoa, kid, I gotcha, I gotcha,” he soothes as he adjusts the kid’s torso and limbs, one arm clutched around the kid’s hip to keep him balanced.

The sharp scent of burnt skin and singed hair is the first thing that registers as he settles the kid’s limp body in his lap, and Tony can’t help but look at where Peter’s hands lay on either side of him. His left palm and three fingers on his right hand are sporting what appear to be second-degree burns, indicating where the electricity had entered and exited his body. But his worry at the smell and sight of Peter’s charred skin doesn’t hold a candle to the moment when Tony turns to the kid’s face. 

“ _No_. Nonono…”

Peter’s eyelids are half closed, his gaze unfixed and vacant. If this were any other situation, Tony would think he was about to drift off to sleep. But there is no time for that sort of denial as he desperately half-carries-half-drags the kid a few feet away from all the tools and hovers over him, one hand over his mouth feeling for even the smallest puff of air while the fingers of the other jab into the teen’s neck.

Neither breath nor beats greet him, and Tony’s own vitals ramp up as he closes his eyes, trying to swallow down his rapidly increasing panic.

“FRIDAY, get someone here now! The kid’s down!” he cries, giving the teen two rescue breaths before starting compressions. “C’mon Peter, _c’mon!_ ”

“Boss, as it’s a Sunday the tower is empty of personnel. Dr. Banner and Misters Rogers and Wilson are currently five blocks away at India Kitchen. I’ve informed them of Mr. Parker’s current state. ETA is 4.5 minutes.”

Tony doesn’t acknowledge FRIDAY, too focused on counting his compressions and looking anywhere but the kid’s face. If he catches sight of Peter’s empty gaze again he knows he’ll lose all composure, and the kid can’t afford that. Neither of them can.

“Damnit, Peter, don’t do this,” he pants as leans over and gives two more rescue breaths. But the kid remains still as before.

As he begins another set of compressions Tony looks around desperately but there’s nobody else there to help. Then he spots the white metal box affixed to the far wall with a red zipcase inside. _Emergency Defibrillator_ the box reads in a large red font, and Tony could smack himself for not thinking of it sooner.

Leaving Peter’s side when he’s not breathing (not _dead_ , never _dead_ ) is maybe the hardest thing the man has ever done, but he has no choice. He has to save Peter.

“I’ll be right back, kiddo,” he promises, allowing himself one quick pass through the kid’s curls before sprinting the twenty feet to the box, slamming it open and grabbing everything inside before running back to Peter and crashing to his knees once more.

His mind spares a half-second to thank Pepper for insisting that even Tony’s personal labs have all standard emergency equipment as he opens the case, revealing the AED and connected chest pads inside. 

He turns on the AED and sets it to analyze before ripping the collar of Peter’s t-shirt open, tearing through the fabric and exposing the kid’s still chest. Quickly Tony follows the drawings on the two pads, planting one firmly on Peter’s upper right chest area and the other on his lower left. He spares a glance at the kid’s face just long enough to register the blue tint of the kid’s slack lips before he turns back to the AED. 

“God, please, _please_ let this work,” he whispers as with a flip of the shock switch he sends yet another jolt of electricity through the kid’s body.

And just like that Peter is heaving, the kid’s chest and limbs exploding with life as he flails, breaths quick and stuttering. His eyes roam the ceiling in terror for a few seconds before Tony’s own teary ones consume his vision as he hovers above him, hands cupping the spiderling’s face.

“Oh my god, _Peter_ ,” Tony whispers, voice thick with relief. 

“Mr. Stark, w-what happened?” Peter asks, wincing as he raises his burnt hands, clearly feeling the pain now.

Tony closes his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting go of the kid. He sits back and pulls his legs up, propping elbows on knees, and lets his head hang between them. His own body feels like it’s just been shocked, the adrenaline of the last few minutes wearing off quickly. Without looking he grabs one of Peter’s shoulders and grips it hard, needing the contact.

“You made a major, and I mean _major_ mistake, kiddo,” says Tony, raising his head, but he’s still too emotionally strung out for the words to carry any heat. “Touching a live wire with your bare hands, what were you thinking?”

Peter looks confused before his eyes widen as the memory comes to him. He glances over at where DUM-E sits, robotic guts still nestled inside the open panel, before looking at his bare chest where the AED pads are still affixed.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry, Mr. Stark. I just - I saw we missed connecting the one wire and I just wanted to fix it and I just, I didn’t think and-”

“We can talk about it once we get you looked over, okay?” says Tony, sensing the kid’s growing distress at nearly being killed over such a stupid ( _so so stupid_ ) oversight. He’s still too relieved to be mad yet though, and gently he helps the kid sit up, peeling the pads off his chest.

“Christ, Pete, you can’t do that to me,” he says with a small smile before swiping his hand over the kid’s ridiculously poofy hair.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Stark,” Peter repeats, trying to curl his fingers into a fist to test the depth of his burns. He looks back up at Tony with a sheepish smile. “I was really hoping I’d never put you through that again, y’know?”

Tony’s eyebrows furrow. “What do you mean, ‘again’? I think I’d remember having to shock you back to life, kid.”

Peter cocks his head, a half laugh bubbling out as he stares at Tony with a bemused expression. “Well, yeah, _again_. This isn’t _that_ different from the Expo attack, right?”

“The Expo attack?” If anything Tony is even more lost. “You mean in 2010?”

“Yeah! Remember, at the fountain?”

Tony’s eyes widen as a memory he hasn’t thought of in years appears in the forefront of his mind and begins to play like a reel of film.. “That… Pete, that was _you_?”

**2010 Stark Expo - night of the drone attack**

Tony is zooming through the sky, twisting and turning as he avoids the shots aimed at him by the Hammer drones. Expertly he turns on his back and takes out a few with his repulsors before checking out the scene beneath. All outside the Expo it’s utter chaos as thousands of people attempt to flee from the drones on the ground, which have now begun to launch bombs out into the crowd. 

“Sir, it appears an Expo attendee is attempting to face down five drones without any method of defense,” JARVIS says in his ear.

“What? Where?” 

“Lower left, sir.”

JARVIS zooms his screen in on the lone person not running from the drones, having opted instead to turn around and face them squarely. With not a tiny bit of panic Tony realizes it’s just a kid, though he’s wearing one of the many toy Iron Man masks sold by the hundreds since the Expo opened. Tony curses himself for letting such realistic mock-ups be sold, as it’s obvious that the drones - a clearly inferior piece of tech to anything SI would produce, blueprints be damned - have determined the child to be a threat.

The kid - who couldn’t be more than eight or nine, based on his small stature - is standing in front of the main pavilion entrance’s fountain. He has an arm raised with his hand confidently pointed upward, a toy repulsor in his palm and aimed at the drone before him. 

Wasting no time Tony flies down in his direction, hoping he won’t be too late.

“Come on, come on, blast it JAR!” he orders as the drone aims the entirety of its weaponry at the child, who has yet to back down.

Tony lands just in time to deflect the drone’s blast from making a direct hit with the kid, but the resulting explosion has both him and the boy flying backwards toward the fountain. Tony lands just against the edge, cracking the cement side, while with a splash the kid lands directly in the water. Tony is dazed but nevertheless jumps to his feet and immediately turns to grab the boy but is distracted when he hears the high-pitched noise of the drones lining up their shots again. 

Deciding he’ll get the kid to safety once he’s dealt with the immediate threat, he engages in combat with the five drones. Two he takes down easily with separate repulsor beams, while only just managing to fly into the air and dodge a blast from a third. A unibeam to the head takes that one out, then it’s only two left.

Tony tactically lands directly in between the pair, giving them a few seconds to line up their shots for his chest and head. Just as they are about to shoot he launches himself into the air, the blasts of each taking out the other instead. 

“Good work, sir,” JARVIS says in his ear as he turns back to the fountain, expecting to find a very soaked child crouching in fear at its side.

“JAR, where’s the ki-” he begins only for the word to die in his throat as he spots a dark shadow amongst the bright blue of the water. The child - still wearing the Iron Man mask - is floating facedown in the fountain, unmoving.

“ _No_. Nonono!” Tony cries, landing on the ground and wrenching himself out of the suit. “Sentry mode, JAR, _now!_ ”

Tony stumbles to the edge of the fountain and hops in. It can’t be more than two feet deep and if the boy had been conscious he would have no doubt gotten out by himself, but the blast must have knocked him unconscious. Wasting no time he plucks the kid from the water, distantly noting how even soaking wet the boy feels so light, not weighing much more than fifty pounds.

As carefully as he can he drops the kid onto the pavement before stumbling out himself and leaning over the boy, turning him onto his back. He tears the toy mask off to reveal a head of massive brown curls but Tony barely glances at them, instead finding himself laser-focused on the boy’s slack expression and blue lips.

He moves forward and checks for breathing movements and a pulse, but finds neither. 

“Don’t do this, kiddo,” he whispers before giving two rescue breaths and beginning compressions. 

The seconds tick on, but the kid doesn’t move. “C’mon, little guy!”

As he counts each press his eyes stray once more to the boy’s face, taking in the delicate features, the long lashes, the tiny mole on his chin…

“Breathe, buddy, _please!_ ”

Two more rescue breaths and another round of compressions. Tony can’t help but note just how _small_ the body is beneath him. His woven hands over the boy’s heart practically cover his entire chest. 

“C’mon kid, please…”

Somewhere close by Tony knows there’s frantic parents looking everywhere for this child, begging for him to be safe. Begging for a miracle, like Iron Man swooping in and saving the day. Yet as Tony finishes out the second round of compressions, the boy remains still, lips now a stunning shade of violet in contrast to his pale face.

Tony puts a hand over the kid’s mouth, but there is no warm puff. “No, kid… no…”

For a few seconds Tony sits back, considering giving up. It feels like hours since the boy landed in the water, but Tony can still hear explosions and far-off screams, so it couldn’t have been so long. Yet, what if he is wasting time trying to save a corpse when he should be protecting those who still need it?

But then Tony remembers the defiance with which the kid had held himself as he faced off against the drones. _No_ , he thinks, shaking his head. No, this child will _not_ die. Not _here_ , at the first Stark Expo in decades, an event this boy had no doubt been looking forward to for months. Not _today_ , when only hours earlier this kid probably promised to do extra chores for weeks in exchange for that damn toy - for the chance to feel like Iron Man for even a few moments. Not _now_ , after this child believed so much in Iron Man that he was willing to stand up to the superhero’s actual enemies with nothing but a few pieces of cheap plastic.

 _No_. Tony is this kid’s hero and will not let him die. He just has to _think._

The fact remains though, only a shock to the system will help at this point and any defibs even remotely in reach would be back inside the - 

“Wait,” Tony whispers, glancing down at his own chest and ripping open the collar of his shirt. Why didn’t he think of this before?

Quickly he fumbles through his pockets, looking for anything that can create a current. 

“Hell yes,” he says as he pulls out a stray wire from the lab, wrapping it around his thumb. Next he removes the arc reactor from its chest casing, putting it in his palm and securing the wire around it as best he can so that the powercore will make contact with the wire if given enough pressure.

“Please work, please work, please work,” Tony chants as he presses the reactor down on the kid’s chest, right over the _X_ of his Expo logo shirt. As soon as the reactor makes contact with the wire a giant jolt hits both him and the kid, the shock making the kid’s body jump while Tony flies backwards, landing on his tailbone. He scrambles up again but the kid doesn’t move. Once more he shocks them both, but again there is no movement of the kid’s chest, his face slack as ever.

“I know you have fight in you, kid. So _fight!_ ” he orders as he presses down a third time, ignoring how his own chest is starting to tighten.

With the final shock Tony flies back again, but doesn’t even feel the impact when he sees the kid’s eyes fly open as he immediately spits up easily a half-gallon of water, his lungs heaving with choked coughs as his terrified eyes look all around before landing on Tony.

Tony gets a hand under the kid’s head, looking down at him with what he hopes is a reassuring grin. “Breathe kid, that’s it, just breathe, you’re okay.”

He rubs the kid’s back as the boy sits up, still hacking up water. Tony can’t help but grin, even with the kid’s breaths sounding so wet. He has no doubt that people have died tonight - innocent people who came to _his_ event, and he doesn’t know how he’ll reckon with that once this is all over - but _thank god_ that at least he managed to save this one young, brave life.

There’s a pair of explosions directly behind them, the suit moving quickly into a defensive stance and firing repulsor beams. Tony is about to turn to survey the threat when he feels a sharp pain in his left arm and chest, much worse than the tightness he’d ignored before.

A wordless grunt escapes his lips, his whole body shuddering. He sinks down to the ground against his will, landing in a pained ball on his side. The kid is staring at him with wide eyes and pulling at his arm. His mouth is clearly forming words but Tony can’t make out what the kid is saying between the high-pitched ringing in his ears. And jesus, he’s so tired now. Maybe if he rests, just for a few moments...

He must have blacked out because when his eyes open again he’s on his back, staring up at into the night, the skyward streams from the fountain in his periphery. Was it already that dark outside, or is it just his vision going black?

And now someone is fumbling with his hand, prying his fingers open. Is it death, finally come for him?

 _I’m sorry Pepper_ , he thinks before he lets himself fade away for good, no longer feeling even the sharp pangs of his stuttering heart. _I’m so sor…_

And then there’s another jolt, only this time it’s coming from his own chest. His body bucks as everything goes from a silent black and white film to full surround-sound technicolor, and he lifts his chin just enough to look down as his hands fumble at the casing above his sternum. The arc reactor is back exactly where it should be, perfectly positioned.

He looks up to see who his savior is, only to see teary brown eyes and a small smile flooding his vision. Tony lifts a hand and swipes it through the kid’s matted curls before patting the side of his face appreciatively. 

Just then there’s another explosion only a dozen feet away and way too close to the kid for Tony’s comfort. He sits up as the boy stands, leaning over and helping Tony to his feet. 

The suit turns to him, JARVIS sensing he is ready to take back control now that the kid is seemingly safe. Tony steps into it before turning back to the boy. He needs to go after the rest of the drones but he can’t just leave this kid - this kid who just _saved his life_ , jesus - here all by himself, can he?

The boy makes the decision for him, however, running back a few feet before giving him a wave, grin still firmly in place despite the ongoing danger.

“Nice work, kid,” Tony says with a smirk just as the mask closes over his face.

The kid smiles even wider, if that’s possible. The last Tony sees or hears of him is a squeaky voice yelling out, “Thanks, Mr. Stark!” right before he blasts into the air, the remaining drones in quick pursuit.

Just like that, the kid is gone from his life as quickly as he entered it.

**Now**

“-ark? Mr. Stark? You okay?”

Tony is pulled back to the present by Peter’s hand on his shoulder, his expression one of mild concern. The two of them are still on the floor of the lab, surrounded by the various defib components.

He wipes a hand over his face. “Yeah, Pete, I’m fine. Just a little stunned that I didn’t put together earlier that the little squirt who saved my behind back then was _you_.”

He reaches out and ruffles the kid’s hair, glancing him over with purpose this time. The little boy’s unruly mop of hair, his wide grin, the small chin mole - they’re all identical to the young man presently before him. It’s so glaringly obvious, he has no idea how he could have missed it all this time.

“Ah well,” says Peter, waving him off with his usual brand of humble. “I guess I just figured you already knew, but I know it was kind of a crazy night for you.”

Tony scoffs. “A crazy night for me? You almost _died_ , kid.”

The weight of his words only hit him after they leave his mouth. God, Peter - not just a nameless kid anymore, but his Peter - really _had_ almost died that night. 

And If Peter had died that night, Tony would never have had the chance to get to know the kid, or mentor him, or see him grow into his own as Spider-Man. So many more lives would have been lost had the kid lost his that night. And where would Tony be without him? The very thought of not having Peter - of losing such a bright soul and never even knowing it - brings tears to his eyes, and Tony turns his head away, swiping at his face. God, why can’t he get control of himself? 

“It’s good to know you were a little genius back then, too,” Tony finally says, trying to lighten the mood. “Not every kid would have thought to put the arc reactor back in when I keeled over.”

Peter grins at that. “Oh man, I told everyone at school how I saved Iron Man’s life, but nobody except Ned believed me! Even May and Ben were a bit skeptical, I think.”

Tony chuckles, rising to his feet. This time it’s him holding out a hand to Peter, Tony bracing the kid’s back as he shakily stands up.

Just then Steve bursts through the doors, focusing in on the two of them with trained precision. “Peter! Are you alright?”

He strides over, taking in the AED debris littering the floor before his gaze flicks back to Peter, looking him up and down in concern.

“Situation is under control, Cap,” Tony assures, clapping Steve’s back before leading Peter to a lab chair and plopping him down. From a bottom desk drawer he pulls out an old hoodie and helps Peter put it on over his torn shirt, mindful of the kid’s injured hands.

“What happened?” Steve asks.

“Oh, nothing much, Peter here just tried to give me another heart attack, that’s all,” Tony quips. He shoots Peter a pointed glare. “No more lab time until we go over every workshop safety 101 video FRIDAY can dig up, kid. The first being on how not to handle possibly live wires.”

Peter’s face reddens and he grumbles something but Tony doesn’t catch it as right then Sam and Bruce rush in, both breathing much harder than Steve had been.

“Is… Pete… okay?” Bruce pants, bent at his waist and bracing his weight on his knees. Beside him Sam has his hands on his hips, steadying himself.

“I’m fine, Dr. Banner,” says Peter, before adding sincerely, “Sorry for causing a ruckus just now.”

Tony rolls his eyes. “We both know you’re not _fine_ , Pete. Bruce, can you look him over? His hands are fried and his heart -” _stopped_ , Tony was about to say but suddenly he can’t bring himself to, the fear still too palpable. Instead he motions at Peter’s chest.

He expects the kid to grumble at that too but Peter just gives him a contrite glance before standing up and nodding at the door.

The three Avengers each give Peter a hug and share their thanks he’s okay before shuffling out, Sam and Steve heading for the communal living area while Bruce takes a left out of the lab, in the direction of the medbay.

“Alright kid, you know the drill. Follow the good doctor,” Tony says, moving for the door. But Peter grabs his arm, halting him. 

Before Tony can ask what the kid needs he pulls Tony into a fierce hug, surprising the man but not enough for him to flinch or pull away. Instead he wraps his arms around the kid’s back, rubbing his hands up and down soothingly. Now that they’re standing chest-to-chest he can feel the kid’s heartbeat against his reactor scars, the way his lungs expand with every breath, and it’s almost enough for him to forget that only a few minutes ago the kid wasn’t doing either.

Almost.

After a few moments they both pull back, still facing one another.

“What was that for, kid?”

Peter shrugs, giving Tony a smirk. “Just thought you could use a whole-ass hug.”

The kid’s right, Tony knows. He didn’t realize just how much he needed that comfort - that undeniable proof of life - until it was given, but apparently Peter did. 

“Thanks, Pete,” he says quietly, then clears his throat. “But since when do you call anything _whole-ass_? Which bad influence around here taught you that?”

Peter raises an eyebrow at him. “Which do you think?”

“Damn it, Clint,” Tony mutters, shaking his head. With a chuckle he puts an arm around Peter’s shoulders, leading him out of the lab.

They make their way toward the medbay in silence, Tony lost in thought. Here, he’d thought himself incredibly lucky to have met Peter at all. But to know now that their paths crossed not once but _twice_ , and both times in such life-altering ways?

The knowledge is staggering all on its own. But even more mind-blowing to him is that in the face of such a reveal, Tony can only feel a swell of gratitude unlike any other he’s known before. 

_God, is this what it feels like to be a dad?_ Tony thinks, then tries to clamp down the thought before it has a chance to really dig in… only to discover it’s already buried deep inside his soul. Because Tony wants nothing more right now than to tell Peter how incredibly grateful he is that the boy is here now, today, with him. How he hopes he never has to go through anything like this again, but he would do it a million times over if it meant Peter was alive at the end. How when he looks at Peter he no longer sees merely _mentee_ or _underoos_ or even _kid_ , but _son_. Someone to protect and cherish at all costs.

Yet he says none of those things. Because right now he has an injured spiderling to attend to, one who is in no shape to help process Tony’s burgeoning desire to be someone’s ( _Peter’s_ ) father-figure. After all, who knows if Peter even wants that from him?

So no, he doesn’t say any of that. But he hopes that maybe the meaning will come across anyway as just when they reach the medbay doors he fondly whispers in the teen’s ear, “Nice work, kid.”

_(I love you.)_

Peter chuckles, giving him a soft smile in return that shows he knows exactly what night, so long ago now, Tony is referencing. “Thanks, Mr. Stark.” 

_[(I love you too.)]_

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are most appreciated <3


End file.
